1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to drapes of the type used in caring for a medical patient, such as during surgical procedures and, more specifically, to a suction drape used by an anesthesia provider during surgical procedures to temporarily hold a suction instrument and to limit its contamination.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The practice of anesthesia today is a highly technical science involving various instruments and instrumentation. As a result, the work environment of the anesthesia provider is congested by numerous items necessary for the performance of various surgical procedures. During any given surgical procedure, the anesthesia provider is surrounded by numerous electrical monitoring devices, machines that mix anesthetic gases, ventilate a patients lungs, evacuate fluids, administer and warm fluids and warm the patient's body. Although the anesthesia provider is surrounded by an elaborate array of medications, syringes, needles, and tubings of various descriptions, a temporary, clean or sterile receptacle is not always available for such accessories. Because of the lack of a standardized receptacle or holder, such items are not always within easy reach.
Especially today, limiting patient contamination of the work environment, personnel and of subsequent patients is of primary importance. In suctioning saliva, blood, nasal secretions and gastric secretions, there is the potential for contamination with these fluids and infectious agents which they may contain such as, for example, hepatitis and the AIDS virus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,881, issued Jan. 26, 1988, to Meyers, shows an anesthesia accessory unit which comprises a rigid tray assembly adapted to be supported on an end portion of a patient's bed structure, normally a hospital operating room table. While this device offers a number of convenient receptacles, it is non-disposable in nature and relatively expensive to manufacture. Also, the receptacle areas are not provided in the form of clean or sterile pockets which could be closed about the contaminated portion of a surgical instrument to prevent contamination of surrounding work areas, personnel, or subsequent patients.
The provision of a disposable drape, particularly adapted for receiving anesthesia accessories, would provide a disposable article which could be inexpensively produced and which would not need to be laundered or re-sterilized since it would be intended for only a single use. While disposable drapes have increased in use in hospitals in recent years none, to Applicant's knowledge, have been tailored specifically for use as an accessory holder for anesthesia instruments for use during surgical procedures to limit contamination from these devices.
The present invention has as an object to provide an accessory holder for a medical care provider, such as an anesthesia provider, in the form of a disposable drape adapted to be received on an end of a patient support structure, such as a hospital operating room table.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a drape having accessory receiving pockets which define clean or sterile enclosures for temporarily holding a variety of accessories and instruments during surgical procedures.
Another object of the invention is to provide a disposable drape having pockets for receiving a suction instrument during anesthesia operations which provides a sterile environment for the instrument and avoids contamination of the surrounding work area, personnel, or subsequent patients.
Another object of the invention is to provide an accessory drape for use during anesthesia operations which eliminates the need for a second person standing by the anesthesia provider to lend assistance when certain items are needed.
Another object of the invention is to provide an accessory drape which improves the dexterity of the anesthesia provider by freeing a hand or hands during surgical procedures by providing a convenient clean or sterile receptacle for the anesthesia accessories being utilized.
Another object of the invention is to provide an accessory drape installable upon a variety of hospital operating room tables, stretchers and patient supports of various manufacturer's designs, so that the accessory drape can be standardized from one operating room to another.